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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.Hilltop Elementary School third-grade students sang patriotic songs during the school’s annual Famous Americans program on June 1.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A third-grade Hilltop Elementary School student portrayed Harry Houdini during the school’s annual Famous Americans program on June 1.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.On June 1, a Hilltop Elementary School third-grader carried the Marine flag for the “Armed Forces Salute” during the school’s annual Famous Americans program.
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Neighbors | Abby Slanker.A third-grade Hilltop Elementary School student portrayed Laila Ali during the school’s annual Famous Americans program.
By ABBY SLANKER
Third-grade students at Hilltop Elementary School honored famous Americans, past and present, during the school’s 31st annual Famous Americans program on June 1.
“Welcome to our third-grade Famous Americans Program. Our third-graders have worked hard on this program and we hope you enjoy the show. Thank you for coming,” said Joe Maroni, Hilltop Elementary School principal.
Each third-grade student was dressed in a costume to portray a famous American figure of his or her choice. The students researched their choice, wrote a speech about him or her and created a costume to wear during the program.
The students chose a range of famous Americans, from military heroes to inventors, from artists to authors, from presidents to athletes, from stage and screen legends to astronauts and from historical figures to entertainers.
Some of the famous Americans chosen by the students included Abraham Lincoln, Laura Ingalls Wilder, Jackie Robinson, Nilton Hershey, Jonas Salk, Larry Bird, John Deere, John Glenn, Kathrine Switzer, Molly Brown, Henry Ford, Audie Murphy, Amelia Bloomer, Judy Bloom, Elvis Presley, Johnny Appleseed, Alexander Hamilton and Betsy Ross.
To start the show, the Parade of Flags was presented. As a carrier and a guard escorted the flag down the aisle, a narrator gave the history of each flag. Flags presented included Continental, Gadsden, Grand Union, Betsy Ross, St. George’s Cross, King’s Colors, British Red Ensign, Bennington, Star Spangled Banner, Perry’s Flag, Alamo 1824, Bunker Hill, Rhode Island Regiment, Fort Moultrie, Stars and Bars, Confederate Battle, “48 Star” and Old Glory.
A student welcomed the audience to the show and led them in the Pledge of Allegiance.
By class, each student took his or her turn at the microphone to give their memorized speech, which included facts which identified his or her famous American, as if the famous American were speaking.
After each class had finished their speeches, the students joined together to sing, led by Musical Director Stephanie Summers and accompanied by Courtney Larson. Songs included “The Star-Spangled Banner,” “Fifty, Nifty United States,” “I Hear America Singing,” “Armed Forces Salute” and “God Bless America.”
During “Armed Forces Salute,” Summers asked members and veterans of the armed forces to stand when their branch of military anthem was sung.
Before the “Armed Forces Salute” commenced, Summers asked for a moment of silence as the POW/MIA flag was presented.
As each anthem was performed during the salute, students presented the Army flag, Coast Guard flag, Marine flag, Air Force flag and Navy flag.